Ohio State football is back. Eleven Warriors Game Posters are back.
Have a look at our Indiana Game Poster from Sam Harachis, where Brutus travels to the Crossroads of America and charts the Buckeyes' path to Bloomington on Saturday:
Ohio State football is back. Eleven Warriors Game Posters are back.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 30, 2023
Download the hi-res version of our Indiana Game Poster here: https://t.co/hBf0DbdVnK pic.twitter.com/he8QkqEu4q
Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN. At the time of the Skull Session's release, 5 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, Ohio State will face Indiana in its 2023 season opener in two days, 10 hours and 30 minutes. Before the season starts on Saturday, I ranked the "win confidence" for Ohio State's regular-season matchups.
Note: A TL;DR would be in order if I broke down each matchup, so there are three tiers based on my win confidence. Tier 1 is where I am most confident in an Ohio State win, while Tier 3 is where I am least confident.
Tier 1: Youngstown State, Western Kentucky, Rutgers and Indiana
Chalk in a "W" before kickoff. That is all.
Tier 2: Maryland, Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan State
Chalk in a "W" at halftime, save for the Purdue matchup. The "Spoilermakers" always scare me, especially when Ohio State faces the roster of engineers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana (see: 2000, 2004, 2009, 2011 and 2018). The Terps, Gophers and Spartans could offer the Buckeyes some resistance, but their respective coaches have No Juice™ – namely, P.J. Fleck, who loves applause and attention, and Mel Tucker, who is paid $100 million to lose a lot.
Tier 3: Penn State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Michigan
Ohio State's battle with Penn State will be one of the best matchups in college football this season. Thankfully, the Buckeyes will face the Nittany Lions inside the stone walls of the Shoe – not in some "White Out" scenario at Beaver Stadium. If Ohio State wants to defeat a talented Penn State team that features Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Olu Fashanu, Chop Robinson and Kalen King, the Buckeyes must lean on the 100,000+ fans in attendance, who will offer valuable home-field advantage in the contest.
The Buckeyes will not have home-field advantage in what I believe will be their three toughest matchups in 2023: Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Michigan.
The Badgers should offer the Buckeyes a stiff test before the team enters the final third of the regular season. Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell now leads the Wisconsin program, and unlike Fleck and Tucker, he has some serious Juice™. The Badgers return Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi at running back, add SMU transfer Tanner Mordecai at quarterback, and – as all Wisconsin teams do – feature power in the offensive and defensive trenches. Ohio State must be locked in for all 60 minutes or could risk a midseason stumble in Madison, à la 2003 and 2010.
Notre Dame dismantled the U.S. Naval Academy in Dublin, Ireland, behind a four-touchdown performance from Wake Forest transfer quarterback Sam Hartman on Saturday, a result that undoubtedly made future Ohio State President Ted Carter Jr. upset. The Irish will want to replicate that success against Tennesee State (another Eddie George Notre Dame Masterclass?), NC State and Central Michigan before the program hosts the Buckeyes in Week 4. For Ohio State to beat Marcus Freeman and Co., it will need solid performances from the whole team, but most importantly, from its cornerbacks in a contest that could reestablish BIA for good.
As for The Game – well, it's clear that Michigan will be the toughest matchup on Ohio State's schedule this season. I don't need to explain it. Nevertheless, the Buckeyes need to defeat "That Team Up North," preferably in blowout fashion. Still, off the heels of back-to-back losses, any score that results in an Ohio State win would be satisfactory.
THAT'S A LOT OF TALENT. From defensive end JT Tuimoloau (0.9989) to Victor Cutler Jr. (0.7744) – and all the Buckeyes rated somewhere in between – Ohio State possesses one of the best rosters in college football, according to the 247Sports team talent composite.
| TEAM | TOTAL | 5-STAR | 4-STAR | 3-STAR | AVG | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 84 | 18 | 56 | 10 | 94.49 | 1,015.43 |
| Georgia | 85 | 13 | 52 | 20 | 93.03 | 977.87 |
| Ohio State | 85 | 10 | 63 | 12 | 93.32 | 974.79 |
| Texas A&M | 80 | 10 | 42 | 25 | 91.20 | 925.92 |
| Clemson | 83 | 7 | 49 | 26 | 91.17 | 917.88 |
| Texas | 85 | 9 | 47 | 27 | 90.96 | 913.24 |
| LSU | 80 | 7 | 35 | 36 | 90.73 | 899.31 |
| USC | 83 | 6 | 39 | 34 | 89.90 | 896.41 |
| Oklahoma | 85 | 3 | 48 | 32 | 90.50 | 884.97 |
| Oregon | 85 | 5 | 48 | 32 | 90.29 | 874.74 |
On Wednesday, 247Sports ranked Ohio State third behind Alabama and Georgia in its team talent composite for the 2023 season. The Crimson Tide have the best roster in the FBS with a composite score of 1,015.43 points, as the Bulldogs (977.87) hold a narrow 3.8-point lead over the Buckeyes' (974.79) to establish the second- and third-best rosters.
Note: The Buckeyes average points per player of 93.32 is better than the Bulldogs' 93.03.
After Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State, however, the talent declined, as the Buckeyes have an almost 50-point advantage over Texas A&M and a nearly 60-point advantage over Clemson. There is an even more significant discrepancy between Ohio State and top-10 teams Texas, LSU, USC, Oklahoma and Oregon.
Basically, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State are a cut above – all other teams fall in line.
Why does that matter? Since 247Sports started to track team talent composite scores in 2015, the college football national champion ranked in the top 10 in all eight seasons, the top five in six seasons and the top three in five seasons.
To borrow from Ari Wasserman, the former Ohio State beat reporter and current national writer at The Athletic, "Stars Matter." Always have. Always will.
GOT A BRAND? H/T to 247Sports for another piece of content for the Thursday Skull Session, as earlier this week, Brad Crawford ranked the top 25 brands in college football according to an Official Visit survey of 1,000 high school football players.
As was the case with the talent composite, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State were also the top three schools in the survey. However, the Buckeyes' brand is a little more notable than that of the Bulldogs.
Here is a breakdown of the top five schools:
No. 5 - Clemson
Bravo, Dabo Swinney. Clemson's "Tiger Paw" logo has always been recognizable among recruits in the South, but it means a great deal more than it used to since Swinney's reign atop the ACC began with his first 10-win season since 2011. Only Nick Saban won more games than Swinney since and the Tigers banked off that success with two national championships, seven conference titles and a considerable increase in brand strength from a national perspective. Swinney dominates in recruiting and Clemson's facilities are second-to-none in a hotbed geographical area for football.
No. 4 - Oklahoma
One of the winningest programs of all-time, Boomer Sooner needs no introduction. In fact, Oklahoma is borderline allergic to less-than-elite seasons and recruits know that signing with the Sooners means competing for championships annually and probable College Football Playoff appearances during their careers. Oklahoma has won "big" for decades and coach Brent Venables is tasked with keeping the train on the tracks and taking the Sooners next level. The most recognizable brand in the Big 12 along with Texas, Oklahoma is a major win for the SEC in realignment.
No. 3 - Georgia
Georgia creeps closer to No. 1 if the Bulldogs continue winning national championships and recruit at an unprecedented level under Kirby Smart. Georgia has always been a recruiting monster with a rabid fanbase and now, the Bulldogs have the right leader in charge who gets the most out of every avenue of the program. It doesn't hurt to be in the middle of a state which annually produces dozens of elite-level players, either. Georgia spends more money on recruiting than any program nationally and it shows. The "G" has never been more healthy in terms of brand recognition.
No. 2 - Ohio State
Ohio State's "Block O" is iconic. Ohio State's brand strength wasn't altered whatsoever by Urban Meyer's rocky departure several years ago, which proves the program was always much bigger than the coach. Ryan Day is in line to become college football's next first-time national champion if all goes well in 2023 as one of the favorites along with Georgia and Michigan thanks to his stacked team with several future first-rounders on offense. Ohio State is lapping the field in the Big Ten when it comes to brand recognition.
No. 1 - Alabama
Alabama's script "A" is one of the most recognizable logos in college sports and much of that has to do with Nick Saban's illustrious tenure in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide's brand commands respect. Saban has produced more national championships, five-star signees, first-round picks than any coach in America since 2007. Alabama is the program others on the fringe of elite status try to emulate and the impact he's had on the game can not be understated. Alabama is one of the most powerful programs — and top jobs — in the country.
I could contest that Ohio State is the best brand in college football. Unfortunately, any argument that the Buckeyes are better than the Crimson Tide in that regard would be trumped at the mention of national championships, especially national championships in the modern era.
18 > 8 and 6 > 2.
According to Official Visit, on-field success was the No. 1 driver of a program's brand strength, so it looks like Ohio State will have to beat Michigan, win a Big Ten championship and a national title in 2023. Maybe that will do the trick for the high school prospects to elevate the Buckeyes above the Crimson Tide.
MARV'S PERFECT OHIO STATE RECEIVER. Imagine if Ohio State had a wide receiver with Chris Olave's speed, Garrett Wilson's athleticism, JSN's ball skills, Emeka Egbuka's versatility, Xavier Johnson's run after the catch and Marvin Harrison Jr.'s route-running. That would be the perfect Ohio State wide receiver, no? Harrison thinks so.
.@MarvHarrisonJr built his perfect @OhioStateFB wide receiver.
— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) August 30, 2023
What would you change? pic.twitter.com/X5oatuoDZp
Ohio State is Wide Receiver U.
Good news, dear reader: If you agree with that take, you can now remind the world of it with our new shirt from Eleven Warriors Dry Goods!
It's a fact. OSU is WRU.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 29, 2023
Get this new tee design today!https://t.co/1QYekqEsvZ pic.twitter.com/g4YKfcDoBr
SONG OF THE DAY. "T.N.T." by AC/DC.
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